Further Bonding

Books have been written about all kinds of themes, emphases etc re JB.

There is much much more round the net and literary circles.

I'm interested in the serious even graphic theme of the last 4 movies.

They are the most serious consistently of all the series.  Then again they are a 'reboot' dealing with Bond's double O status and a connection of events that culminate incrementally through the last 4.

Forgive me if I reveal plot if you haven't seen them.  Do it anyway.  They may entertain and provoke thought as well.

Unlike before, it gets rather Freudian what with M as a mother figure (though she had been around in the 4 previous Bonds prior to the reboot), Blofeld as a brother figure and emphasis on Bond being orphaned.

Bond is much more acerbic and humor is usually sardonic though actually well done. 

Gadgets are rarer with Bond relying on his wits and sometimes allies.  It boils down to him versus the baddies though, especially the big ones, who all lead to the chief villain, Blofeld.

There are personal demons concerning love and unfinished business.  But Bond is resolute.  He cares and is indeed imbued with what Fleming referred to as patriotism and courage.

He is at his most vulnerable yet at his strongest.

He is also a his most rogue, all through the reboot.  Independent thinking/acting agents are actually rarer these days.  There must be some.  Rigidity results in breakage, while flexibility tends toward success.  Debated only by some usually liberal/neocon types vs nationalists serving their country.

OHMSS has a major moment near the end though.  Bond goes outside SS and teams with Draco to rescue Tracy.

Then in TLD it is hinted and in LTK fulfilled when Bond resigns and pursues those who murdered his best friend's bride and maims his best friend.  Perhaps this stuff was too early, but it rings well with me.

But current success has been achieved with Bond maintaining a sort of edgewise working relationship with SS while independent action is taken.  Eventually this is done by the new M, Q and Moneypenny to stop Spectre, now a full fledged worldwide elitist tool of control.

Aside from that, in Skyfall there is a scene here the previous M quotes Tennyson re striving, seeking, finding and not yielding.  It refs fighting evil aka threats to the country to Freedom and all it encompasses. See Ulysses, Tennyson's poem, for ref and interpretation.

As a sideline, this poem is a favorite of Commander Sinclair on Babylon 5.  He is/was a hero who also sacrificed much for Freedom.

Note as M recites, Silva shoots his way through all the security and raids the meeting of politicians at which M is present.  Note how Bond, Mallory and Moneypenny literally shot back.  Criminals/terrorists don't follow the law.  Arm the Brits?  Hmm.......  Liberals/statists point out it was trained people.  So?  Then again most of us won't encounter a psycho like Silva.  Or might some of us on some level?

When might some of us be called upon to defend ourselves from brigands on various levels?  Not a PPK vs a chopper perhaps.  Perhaps.

With the BoR limiting tyrannical gov, might we have to think outside the box in defense of selves and others?

BTW, if you aren't familiar with Bond movies, then I've given you something to do -s-.